Living a meditative life
Meditation is an interesting word. It has origins you can find in all the Holly Books. It means to sink deep and reflect on the creations around you starting with your whole body to your environment.
People do it in different ways. Some just close their eyes and breath. Others use it in the form of a guided meditation. I know people use it when walking, being in nature outside or doing their spiritual activities.
Meditation brings several benefits to our mental and emotional health. It calms your nervous system. It soothes your strong feelings. It clarifies your thoughts. It brings you down to earth. It grounds you. And it brings you close to the aliveness and vibrancy of life.
Sometimes I wonder: What if we live life this way? What if we go about our daily routines with the meditation framework in mind? For example, instead of having your breakfast and scroll through your social media feed, just sink into the food you are eating. Feel the texture and flavours of the food. Notice the smell and temperature of the food. Observe how your food chewing happens. How you swallow the food and drink. How your eating and breathing happen at the same time.
Another example is when you have a conversation with another person. Notice how the chat happens. Observe the differences in accent, thinking, purpose and intention. Notice the voice of the other person, the speed, the language and the emotions that come along with the talk. Reflect on the conversation and the flow of the ideas come one by one.
Doing the same way in other daily activities too like driving, working, chilling with the kids, doing your grocery shopping or any other activities. I think this process reduces the rush and allows you to take your time living and experiencing life. Especially with our fast paced life, it can be tricky to do that. But I think its worth a try if you struggle with mental-related symptoms.
So whether you believe it or not, just knowing there is a way to cope with anxiety, stress, worry and any other mental-related issues brings hope and spark in the mind. This is not your destiny. You can change something if you don’t like it. Nothing is fixed in this short life.
Life is flawless. It keeps changing and evolving all the time. Look at the weather seasons for instance. Or the life cycle of a human being from death to alive to death and to alive again. Or when the human baby is born weak and turns strong and fit and then turns old and weak again. These all indicate change and transformation.